The Hearts of Men
by feelingpuckish
Summary: Booth's POV dealing with his feelings for Bones as well as a new case. This story is placed between seasons 3 and 4. NOW COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1 Revelations

AN: This is my first attempt at writing any sort of fiction. I am completely obsessed with Bones and unexpectedly found myself writing. I am trying to get Booth and Brennan together—who isn't?? This story is from Booth's POV and will involve a case if I can keep up with all of the scientific voodoo. Anyway, I hope that you enjoy and will comment with anything that comes to your mind.

Of course, I have no rights to these characters.

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**Chapter 1 - Revelations**

He couldn't place his finger on it—couldn't wrap his mind around it. When had he begun to compare every woman in his life to Dr. Temperance Brennan? As he sat in the intimate surroundings of the DC Bistro with Stephanie, he found himself uncomfortably distracted. It was their second date, and she was pleasant, beautiful, and intelligent. What was the problem?

He hadn't had a significant relationship since he and Bones became partners. Tessa withdrew from their commitment and their relationship had simply dissolved. Sure, he spent some time with Cam but he doubted whether or not what they had was enough to call it significant. He knew that he made the right decision breaking it off with Cam. Regardless of their work relationship and the danger, he never really thought of Cam as a potential life partner. They had a history and a stimulating sex life, but he knew that their most recent dalliance was nothing more than a comfortable coincidence. Like Rebecca, he knew that he could slip into auto-pilot with Cam. There was no auto-pilot where Bones was concerned. He always had to be at the top of his game.

He found himself considering Stephanie as she chatted on about whatever had happened to her at work that day. She seemed excited about the topic, yet he struggled to remember anything that she was saying. Perhaps, he was at a stage in his life when he needed to focus on the work that he loved. The work that now included an unexpected but fruitful partnership with Bones.

"Bones," he muttered.

"Excuse me," Stephanie replied.

He hadn't realized that he said her name out loud. "It's nothing; I guess that I am pre-occupied with work. I'm sorry." Unfazed by the interruption, Stephanie continued with her story.

After dinner, he could tell that Stephanie was anticipating a good night kiss, and perhaps something more, but neither his heart nor his body was able to comply. He knew that he wouldn't be seeing her again.

As he pulled away from the curb to drive home, he wondered what Bones was up to that evening. She was not like other women. She was not like anyone he had ever known. She was truly unique, and more than that, she was the most honorable and truthful person he had ever met. She reminded him of him, but that was utterly ridiculous. They had nothing in common. Yet, they understood each other so well. Now that this incredible creature was in his life, every other woman just seemed kind of plain.

"Booth, get over yourself man!" he exclaimed out loud and pounded a fist on the steering wheel of his SUV. It wasn't until that moment that he realized that he had driven to the Jeffersonian. What the heck was he doing here so late on a Friday night? He was there because Bones was there. He didn't even need to verify whether or not her car was in the structure—he just knew that she was there. They didn't have a case at the moment, but she had other bones to examine as well as a new book in the works and he knew that she frequently worked late into the evening. This was not the first time that he had found himself sitting outside the Jeffersonian or her apartment. In fact, he never really felt secure going home, until he knew where she was and whether or not she was safe.

They were partners and friends. They had shared so much over the last three years. Every time that Angela claimed Bones as her "best" friend, he secretly cringed knowing that he was really her best friend. They were practically inseparable, and he found himself needing to be around her more and more as time went by. Sweets didn't know what he was talking about when he said that they never shared personal information, he had shared more with Bones than with anyone—ever! And, he suspected that the same was true for her. But Sweets was right in recognizing that they shared a deep, emotional bond.

He turned off the engine, but could not bring himself to get out of the vehicle. He just wanted to be near her. He could not go to her right now because he was out of sorts and vulnerable to emotions that he had been blocking for quite some time. What had he said to her when they were first investigating the Gormogon vault? "At least you could admit that something is wrong so that we can figure it out." Perhaps, that is what he needed to do right now—admit what he was feeling. What was he feeling? He knew what it was but he could never bring himself to think about it too carefully for fear that the intensity of his own thoughts would ruin what they already had.

He had drawn the line for Bones on more than one occasion. People in intense situations just can't get involved. There are two many strings—too many complications. It just dawned on him that he was not drawing that line for Bones but rather reminding himself over and over again. She was his partner. He had told her that she was like a man. The problem was that she was not a man. She was a woman—an incredible women. Despite what most people thought of her, she was a woman with deep, intense emotions. He had seen some of those emotions and knew that there was so much more brewing under the surface.

"Give it time," He thought aloud, "Everything happens in time." He smirked to himself remembering when he had said those words to Bones. He had never been more relieved in his life than the day that Sully sailed away leaving Bones with him. It had nearly killed him to encourage her to go, but he did not want to interfere with her decision-making process having already established an invisible line between them. Why had she stayed? Was it because of him? Gordon Gordon said 'no,' but it seared his soul not to know for sure—not that it would make any difference.

"I love her." Even as he heard himself say the words, he couldn't quite classify what they meant. Of course, he loved her. They were very close friends. More importantly, they were partners dedicated to the pursuit of truth and justice. Still, there was something else growing between them. Each time he took her in his arms, he felt a closeness that could not be measured. He cherished those moments. He was her protector, and he loved that role. She was special and surprisingly fragile despite her tough exterior and ability to flatten most men. He had long since claimed the responsibility of keeping her safe. He secretly regarded himself as her spiritual mentor. He knew that she scoffed at such things, but he also knew that she was a deeply spiritual person even though she hid it under all of that techno-babble and science. She was special and he loved her dearly.

"Ok Bub, time to admit it to yourself. You love this woman. She is more than a friend and more than a partner and she has meant more to you for a while now." Terrific, he thought as he gave in to his feelings. Not that it mattered much since he was sitting in his car alone in the middle of the night. The fact was that even though he could finally admit it to himself, he felt helpless. This was neither a familiar nor a comfortable feeling for Agent Seeley Booth. He was never helpless. He was a strong and fearless soldier (she had called him a warrior). Instead of being elated by the revelation, these feelings made him feel small and alone. How the hell was he going to be able to deal with this?

It would be selfish of him to pounce on her with his growing realization. She has been through so much and she is finally coming to terms with her own life. He knew better than to rush her on issues that could not be measured or examined in a Petri dish. How could he introduce an emotional conundrum to the woman who guarded her emotions so well? Even worse, what if she did not feel the same way? He would be crushed—he would rather not know.

Still, there were definitely signs that she felt something for him. There were so many moments when those beautiful eyes had not merely acknowledged his existence or responded to a comment, but had peered right through him even and implored him to understand what was not being said. He knew that he was not reading something that was not there. He was an expert at interrogation and understood people. He knew that there was something rattling around that genius brain of hers—something that touched him deeply.

For one thing, she did not sail away with Sully even though they appeared to have a good thing going. For another, she was so mad at his 'pretend' funeral. He could not help but smile as he absent mindedly lifted his hand to his jaw reliving the "passion" of that moment. Yea, she was angry, but wasn't there something else? She had burst into his bathroom that day. She seemed uncharacteristically irrational and he had to admit it was cute on her. He should have called her. In fact, he wanted to call her. He missed her those two weeks, but he was under lock down and had a duty to perform. Yet, she had not cried at the funeral. In fact, she said that it was a waste of time. But he knew, or rather he convinced himself that she couldn't "compartmentalize" his loss so easily.

He was jerked back to reality as he saw her pull her car out of the parking structure and turn towards her apartment. He held his breath for a moment. He was going to have to deal with this somehow. He was not the kind of guy who let things like this stand.


	2. Chapter 2 Therapy is Not a Good Idea

**Chapter 2 – Therapy is Not Such Good Idea Right Now**

He had not slept all weekend. He had nothing to distract him from his newly accepted feelings for Bones: it was not his weekend with Parker, there was no active investigation, and he didn't have any personal plans. He had simply puttered around the house all weekend flipping through television stations and thinking about Temperance Brennan.

He was thankful for Monday and hoped that the day would provide him with the necessary distractions while he worked through the issue. As he headed to his office under the strain of a lack of sleep combined with heavy DC traffic, he nearly jumped at the sound of his cell phone. He flipped it open without checking the screen, "Booth."

"Are you coming to pick me up, or not?" The purpose laden voice of Bones chimed through the receiver.

At the unexpected sound of her voice, he nearly swerved into oncoming traffic. The reality of her voice after days of contemplation really did a number on his senses. "Pick you up? My aren't we bossy this morning. Good Morning Booth. How was your weekend? None of the niceties, eh?"

"Sorry. You know me; I get straight to the point. So, are you on way over to the lab?" Of course, she was already at the lab.

"..And exactly why am I being dubbed the chauffer this lovely Monday morning." He chided.

"Well, for one thing, you always insist on driving so I thought it would be illogical for me to offer to pick you up, and for another, we have an appointment with your favorite 12 year old this morning." He could tell that she was relaxing a little trying to join in his light-hearted tone. The change in her voice made him smile.

"I completely forgot. I will be right there to get you." Damn. This was not the time for therapy especially since he could not discuss what needed to be discussed compounded by the fact that Sweets insisted on poking and prodding them about personal issues in these sessions. He usually enjoyed the sessions with Sweets. He liked teasing the young psychologist and he really liked watching Bones battle her demons in a realm in which she was not entirely comfortable. For a woman who does not appreciate psychology, she certainly has a lot of it.

He composed himself as he made the familiar walk to her office. This was just another day like so many others before it. He was in control.

"Hey there Bones. Any skeletons in your closet that I should know about?"

"You are very cheerful this morning." She replied without looking up from her computer. He was used to this kind of reaction and generally appreciated her ability to maintain focus during most situations.

"Well, our world appears to be murder-free for the moment and I get to spend the next hour or so making fun of Sweets so there is plenty to be cheerful about. Are you ready to leave?"

"Sure, just let me finish this paragraph." He got the feeling that she was working on her new book. How the heck did she manage to stay on top of so many things at once? She can go from best-selling author to brilliant scientist in a split second. What else was she capable of handling? He stretched on the sofa and watched her work in silence.

Within minutes, she looked up and caught him staring at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what? Hey, you beckoned me to your office and as the dutiful FBI Agent that I am I came to answer your call for assistance. You are the one who is keeping me waiting here." He was afraid that he sounded a little defensive, but it did not seem to faze her.

"I'm ready." She said removing her lab coat and grabbing her bag. He instinctively gravitated to her side placing his hand on the small of her back while guiding her out of the office.

He enjoyed being in the car with Bones. They were alone together and trapped. No matter how serious their conversations or disagreements, they could not get away from each other in the car. This is where they had worked through many of the most serious aspects of their cases. This is where they had shared the most. He also enjoyed the proximity. She was there within reach and that gave him a sense of calm. On top of that, he was in control in the car. He could drive her anywhere and she would be powerless—he would have to remember that. Right now, they had someplace to be.

"Why so quiet?" She interrupted his thoughts. "Did you have Parker this weekend?"

"No Parker this weekend. It was a very quiet weekend at home. How about you?"

"Well, I spent quite a long time in modulated bone storage this weekend. All of our cases have kept me from my other duties at the Jeffersonian. I worked on six different sets of remains and managed to identify them all. I also did some work on my book." She said with the unmistakable air of pride and satisfaction that was so characteristic of her.

"You work too much, you know. There is more to life than skeletons."

"Well, I did have a date on Saturday night." She said in defense.

He felt an all too familiar pang of jealously and instinctively resorted to sarcasm, "Really, did he have an actual pulse and, you know, skin?"

"Booth, you know that I don't appreciate that tone. Yes, he is very nice and we had a good time. You know, even someone like me needs to make connections with other people. Even someone like me has biological urges that need to be satisfied."

Had she slept with her date? The mere implication gave him a sour taste in his mouth. He had to admit that he was relieved that she was at least trying to get out of the lab. He just wanted to be the person that she turned to satisfy biological urges. Wait a minute, had he really just thought that? He hadn't even considered the physical implications of his feelings over the weekend. He was so focused on gaining entrance into her heart and soul that he had ignored the sexual beauty of this woman as well as his growing attraction toward her. Of course, he always thought she was attractive. Who wouldn't? But, he had buried those thoughts so deeply over the past three years that it took the emotional revelations of his feelings in combination with jealousy to let them out again.

"I know Bones." This was all he could manage to say. He parked the car and they headed up to Sweets office in silence.

They sat down in Sweets office, waiting for him to finish speaking with the secretary in the waiting room. Booth looked over at Bones and wondered what she was thinking. This was a dangerous game for him to play, however, because she could be preoccupied with any number of scientific phenomena. Still, he liked to hear her thought process when they worked on cases. He would never admit it to her, but he actually found her work fascinating. She understood things that he never could. In turn, he felt secure in the knowledge that he understood some things that she did not.

"What are you thinking about Booth? You have such a concentrated look on your face."

"It is funny you should ask that question, because I was just wondering what you were thinking about. I was afraid to ask for fear that you would start telling me about bone density or something else that I wouldn't understand or really care about."

The gave each other a small smile of recognition that no matter how different their respective worlds were, they were always in sync with one another.

"Am I interrupting something," Sweets said as he sauntered into the room. "Sorry to keep you two waiting."

"No problem" The both said in unison.

Sweets settled into his chair and opened his mouth to get things started when Booth's phone started ringing.

"Booth." After a few minutes of listening and jotting notes, he got off the phone and tucked it into his pocket. Saved by the bell, he thought to himself. "Well, as much fun as this is, we have some bones, Bones," and ushered her out of the room leaving Sweets with his mouth hanging open staring after them.


	3. Chapter 3 Accusation

**Chapter 3 - Accusation**

They were safely back in the car and on the road to Western Virginia in search of the scene of their most recent case.

"Awfully quiet there Bones." He really wanted to hear the sound of her voice. Although he was nervous that she might actually say something that would start a fight, he would rather fight with Bones that almost anything else he could think of. She really kept him on his toes and he appreciated both her candor and her naiveté.

"I was just thinking . . . Why don't you have a FBI partner, Booth?"

"Because I have you, Bones." He said sending her his most devious charm smile.

"Well yes, but you persistently remind me of how inadequate I am. I don't understand people, I have no intuition, and I am not a cop." He sensed a little hint of sadness in her voice. That was not like her.

"I would never classify you as inadequate." He stated in his most assuring tone.

"Still, it seems rather irrational for you to have to deal with me as much as you do. Your energies would be better utilized in catching bad people." Oh boy, there go those logical wheels spinning in that complex brain of hers.

"Do you really have to rationalize everything?"

"Yes Booth, I am a scientist."

"Are you asking for my full confession here?"

"Don't tell me that God has something to do with this?"

"Ok, I am going to ignore that question." He straightened a little in the seat and cleared his throat. "I have had partners in the past, and there are different reasons why we do not work together anymore. Partnership and I mean any kind of partnership here Bones, requires a lot of work, attention, and care to maintain. It takes chemistry and trust. So, I choose you as my partner because we understand each other and have the same goals—we want to find the truth and help in any way we can. Over the last three years, one thing has become crystal clear to me: you are an honorable woman Bones and you do not falter no matter how dire the circumstances. You challenge me to be alert and not to jump to conclusions. I know that you will always have my back. I trust you completely." He could not stop himself. Once he started, everything just flowed out as natural as breathing. He stopped just short of making the professional personal and glanced over to see those beautiful eyes boring into him. He felt a softness there that touched him deeply.

She looked at him for what seemed like an eternity and Booth could feel the heat rise to his cheeks. "Booth, you are the most honorable individual I have ever met." She said breaking the silence and he was certain that she could see his heart leap into his throat. Then there was silence and he considered her as she peered out the window for the next several miles.

"You know that our partnership means a lot to me don't you Booth?" She was still looking out the window and he was again startled by not only the sound of her voice but the words that she was saying. He was very jumpy today.

"Well, it is nice to hear you say it, but yes I know that it is important to you and you know that it is important to me. You do your scientific thing, I do my people thing, and together we catch bad guys." He was smiling proudly at their success.

"Yes, but . . ." She was wistful and more than a little distant. In fact, it suddenly seemed as if she was miles away instead of safely secured next to him in the vehicle.

"But what?" There was a little catch in his voice as the breath had been knocked right of him. "What is this all about, Bones?"

"I don't know exactly. I have been thinking about our partnership a great deal over the last few months since Zach . . ." her voice trailed off but he knew that she wasn't finished. He heard her intake of breath as she continued, "I always considered Zach as more or less of an equal intellectually and rationally. It worries me to realize how easily he was manipulated under the guise of logic. Then I think about Sweets testimony at my father's trial—he said that I was so rational that I could commit murder. It makes me wonder . . ." she trailed off again.

"Listen to me carefully now Bones, because I want you to take heed of what I say. You are not capable of murder. Like me, you have had to kill people in the line of duty, but you are not the kind of person who would ever take someone's life based on someone else's logic. Moreover, Zach was never as strong-minded as you are so don't worry about your stability there. As far as Sweets is concerned, did you by chance listen to my testimony?" He was still not completely sure what was going on in that brain of hers, but he was determined to find out. The problem was that they were getting close to their destination and he knew that she would clam up the moment she had some new bones in her life. As the silence stretched on, he confronted her, "Come on Bones, What is bothering you?"

"When I found out that you were alive, I should have been thrilled but all I felt was angry and hurt. For whatever reason, you chose not to trust me and that has changed something between us. I don't know what to do about it."

Damn. Why hadn't he called her? He needed to take the next few minutes very carefully. "I am not sure that I can say anything that will fix this. I made a mistake, Bones—a huge mistake! I hope that you believe me when I say that I wanted to contact you."

She chose not to answer that and shifted in her seat to face him. "Do you remember the night we conducted your little drinking experiment? You said that you would never betray me. This feels like a betrayal."

He couldn't stand the hurt look in her eyes. As he was trying to formulate exactly how to respond, he noticed the park ranger flagging him over to a parking space. Before he could say anything else, Bones hopped out of the car and introduced herself to the ranger inquiring about the remains. Although he was relieved for the break from the intensity of her accusation. He feared that she would continue to withdraw from him if he didn't set this right. Perhaps he could make her understand on the way back to D.C.


	4. Chapter 4 Confession

**Chapter 4 - Confession**

They had to trek into the woods for at least thirty minutes to reach the remains. As they walked, Booth was thankful that he didn't have to manage the conversation. The Ranger did most of the talking explaining the circumstances of the discovery, "This is not a well traversed area of the park. In fact, as you can see there are no well-defined paths through here. The – er – bones were discovered by one of my colleagues while he conducted a semi-annual inventory of the wildlife and fauna. He was following the signal path of a tagged bear in this area when he found the dump site. He immediately backed away from the scene and called in for assistance. We weren't sure what to do so we called in the authorities who called you I assume."

"Yes, most of the parks in Virginia fall under federal jurisdiction." Booth interjected.

"Is there any other information that I should know before inspecting the remains?" said Brennan.

"I don't think so," the Ranger clearly had not dealt with this type of situation before. "There is the site—right through there." The Ranger pointed to the right at a rather thick growth of trees.

Brennan hurried over and kneeled down next to a haphazard pile of bones. She gently and diligently poked through the pile. Turning toward Booth she said, "I see evidence of two males here: one between 35 and 40 years of age and the other between 6-10 years of age. No obvious signs of blunt force trauma. Also, I don't think there was any attempt at burial. The bones are all intermingling together on the forest floor as if the bodies were originally placed here on top of each other or really close together. Given this, I don't think that they were killed here either. As the Ranger indicated, this does appear to be a dumping of sorts. Booth, make sure that the entire area is photographed carefully before packing the remains and particulates for transport to the Jeffersonian."

"Sure thing Bones." He paused for a moment before asking, "Do you suppose that they are related like father and son maybe? It may help us in identifying them."

"That is a logical presumption, Booth. Of course, we will know more after we get them back to the lab."

They stayed while the crew took care of the scene. He watched as Bones dictated instructions and watched carefully to ensure the integrity of _her_ remains. He was always amused by her protective stance towards bones no matter if they were part of their case or in storage. He was still thinking about what he was going to say to her when they started to head back towards the car. As they retraced their steps, the silence between them was deafening. He suddenly did not like the idea of having to talk to her in the car thinking that it would be better if they could make eye contact. This way, if he jumbled his words, then perhaps she could understand what he was trying to say.

"Hey Bones, stop a minute."

"What? We need to get back to the lab, Booth"

"Just for a minute, I would like to talk to you before we get back in the car." At this, she stopped and turned placing her hands defiantly on her hips. It was an aggressive stance and he was suddenly feeling very nervous and awkward.

"What do you want to say Booth?"

"Come sit with me for a minute." Obviously aggravated by the request, she let out an audible sigh and sat down on a nearby tree log. He sat down next to her but could not speak.

She started, "Listen, I don't think we have time for this. We have a lot of work to do if we want to identify these remains."

"Don't worry about the remains for a moment. We will get beck to DC and you will do what you do so well. I need for us to finish the conversation in the car. I don't mean this as a personal criticism, but you tend to get very distant when you have something on your mind and you just accused me of betrayal. You had to know that that would hurt me deeply." He thought he saw her soften a bit and felt that it was safe to continue. "I am not going to talk about my supposed death anymore. I am sorry that you were hurt and angry and I am sorry that I let you down, but that is now in the past. The important thing is, and I hope that this is the important thing here, that I am not dead. I am alive and I am here with you. Bones, you have to know that there is no place that I would rather be."

"Booth," He put a finger to her lips stopping her. He was not about to let her take control of this situation.

"I am not finished yet." She was clearly confused and although she didn't know it so was he. "I know that you are a strong and confident woman, Bones, but you are also extremely insecure and vulnerable. Sometimes it is because you don't understand the real world outside of the lab and sometimes it is because you have had to deal with some serious personal trauma in your life. I feel that I understand you and I don't feel sorry for you but I do feel sorry that you have to build those walls that prevent everyone—even me—from seeing what a compassionate person you really are. You mean a lot to me and I honestly don't know what I would do without you."

She was looking intently at him now. There was no more anger. There was a soft expression of understanding in her eyes that made him feel like he could bare his soul. She did not try to say anything but simply sat there waiting.

"I am not trying to put you in a difficult position here, but I really feel that now is the time to tell you that I feel closer to you both professionally and personally than anyone else in my life. I look forward to seeing you, arguing with you, and spending time with you. I don't know when it happened, but somewhere along the way I fell in love with you." There, he had said it. Now, he was bracing himself for the fallout.

They sat there for a few minutes looking at each other. He saw that her mouth was open and that she had furrowed her brow a bit. It looked as if she was going to say something a couple of times, but nothing came out. At least, she had not exploded he thought with relief.

"Bones, I know that was a lot to process. You don't have to say anything right now or ever. I just needed you to know what you mean to me and I pray, no I beg you to never use the word betrayal again when thinking about me or something that I have done." She nodded her head in agreement and he even caught the smallest smile forming on her beautiful lips. That was enough for now.

He stood offering a hand to help her to her feet. In a completely uncharacteristic move, she took his hand and following one more emotion-filled look, she turned to head back towards the car.


	5. Chapter 5 Responses

AN: Thanks so much for the quick responses and encouragement. I have to be honest. I only have a vague idea of where this story is going. It just seems to be flowing so naturally so I am not going to pressure myself into anything. I will promise to keep going (especially if I keep getting good reviews)!!

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**Chapter 5 - Responses**

This was undoubtedly the most difficult car ride that he ever had to endure. It was not her fault. He was not sure what had come over him. He told himself that he was not going to profess his love for her. He knew that it would be difficult and awkward and he knew that it was not a situation that was fair to her. He was ashamed of himself for not lasting 24 hours in her presence—Heck, he didn't even last 5 hours in her presence. When he heard what she was feeling, however, he knew that he had to do something drastic. He never wanted her to connect him with any sort of betrayal again. He was an intensely proud and loyal man. Honor and duty were not just matters associated with his military or government service; they were a part of his being.

He did not expect her to fall into his arms nor did he really expect an emotional response. He had not thought about the situation long enough to know what to expect from her. He just wanted her to trust him.

They had returned to the car and driven almost half way back to DC before either of them mustered up the nerve to say anything. He felt compelled to break the silence but every time he tried, he could not find any more words to say. He had poured out his heart and he was drained. Still, he could not leave everything the way it was even though he had gotten the last word—not an easy task around Temperance Brennan.

"Bones," He said tentatively. "There are many different kinds of love, you know. I really don't want you to feel pressured about anything here. Your accusation of betrayal scared me, and I needed to say something that meant something."

"Are you trying to take it back, Booth?" Her voice was calm and even.

"No, you know that am not the type of man to casually throw out words like that. I just want you to understand that you do not have to respond."

"Well, you are talking like you are waiting for a response."

He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. She was right. He was actually desperate for her to say something—anything. "I am sorry. I didn't plan this and I don't know what to say or do right now. I am definitely in uncharted territory here."

"Don't worry Booth. You have spoken honest truths about me as well as yourself. You are always honest with me, and I really appreciate it. I am not sure what to say right now. I am not really equipped to deal with these types of emotions as you very well know. After thinking about it, however I conclude that using the word _love_ to describe our partnership is accurate. We care about each other. We protect each other. We share confidences. You are right—there are different kinds of love. Besides, I did say a lot of things to you on the way out to the Park, and you found a logical way to make me understand that you had no intention of betraying me, and I believe you." She turned toward him and smiled and he could not help but smile back at her.

"Thank you, Bones." She was rationalizing again, but he felt more at ease as a peaceful silence settled into the vehicle.

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When they reached the beltway, Bones spoke again. "Booth, the bones in the Park have been there for a while. I would say at least five and maybe even ten years. I know that there is a lot of wildlife and insect activity to figure out but they are almost wiped clean and the skeletons had time to disassemble and intermingle. The positioning of the bones is kind of odd."

"What do you mean by odd?"

"I am not sure. If the skeletons were intact, then I would have a better idea of their positioning. It is almost as if they were _stuck_ together."

"Well, I would say that that classifies as odd. We will be at the lab soon and you get that brain of yours working on the solution." She would figure it out. She had an uncanny knack of piecing together these puzzles. It did not take him a long time to fully accept her talents; in case after case, she gave him hard, often indisputable facts. She did her scientific thing so well. "I will drop you at the lab and give you and the squint squad time to get some answers. Give me a call, later?"

"Sure, perhaps we can grab a bite to eat tonight?"

"That would be great." He was so proud that they worked and existed together so well.

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After dropping her off, he let out a long, cleansing breath. He felt that the morning had gone well, but he was thankful for the break. He was not exactly emotionally equipped for this either. On his way to his office, he started to rethink what was said and how she responded. As he parked the SUV and headed toward the elevator, he suddenly felt a little dread and found himself somewhat irritated by her response. Had she dismissed his feelings as a logical solution to a problem? Damn her rationalizing.

"You are right back where you started." He muttered to himself. "Idiot." Sure, there are different kinds of love, but what does that really mean?

He had settled down to complete some long overdue paperwork when he heard the familiar sound of his cell phone. Looking at the display, he took a deep breath shaking away any remnants of irritation and answered, "Gee Bones that was fast. You are the best."

"Booth, we have an identity for the older male. His dentals were in the military database. His name was Richard Barton."

"Great, I will get some background information and head over to your office. Anything about those odd bones, yet?"

"Well, yes and no. I am confident that I will have more information when you get here."

"See you soon."

He slipped the phone back into his pocket and turned towards his keyboard, entering the name that Bones supplied. As the data populated his screen, he felt an uncomfortable weight building in his chest.


	6. Chapter 6 Identity

**Chapter 6 – Identity**

He was only half listening to Bones as she reiterated their progress thus far. "What's wrong, Booth? You are not listening to me."

"I am sorry Bones. I don't feel good about this case."

"Since when do we feel good about any of our cases? We deal with murder every day. It is difficult to feel good especially when there is a child involved. That's why we strive to catch the culprits. We bring closure and peace to so many lives."

He really appreciated her efforts at being supportive. She has come a long way in the last few years. He just couldn't shake the dark cloud that was building in his heart. "Richard Barton and his six year old son, Adam, disappeared from Alexandria, Virginia eight years ago. He was an Army Ranger in the Gulf War. I didn't know him personally, but it feels like I knew him." He felt like he was on an emotional roller coaster. Not only was he dealing with his feelings for his partner, but now he had to contend with the murder of a father and son that mirrored his own life a little too closely.

"Oh, I see. He is ex-military with a son the same age as yours is now. I can understand why that would make you feel uncomfortable. I am afraid that our initial findings are not going to help you much."

"That's okay Bones. Go ahead and give me the whole enchilada." He said as he took a seat on the couch in her office.

"I assume that rather than placing your lunch order, you are asking me to reiterate the details." He couldn't help but smile at her translation. It was strange how she could put him at ease. He nodded as she continued, "There is a lot of trace blood evidence on the remaining tissue and clothing of both victims. Cam is running the DNA tests now to determine whose blood. We have found no evidence of trauma to the younger male, but there are some marks on the older male that we need to decipher. I have one of my grad students working on the bones," She paused and Booth understood that this was in deference to missing Zach, "while Hodgins is working on some particulate evidence that we discovered on the bones and the ground underneath them. Given the initial results, it appears as if they were frozen, which would explain why I thought they were _stuck _together. I believe that they were transported to the Park frozen. Now, I realize that several winters have passed since they were placed there, but the positioning of the bones as well as the chemical traces on the clothing leads me to believe that they were frozen by some industrial means. I also asked Angela to see if she can recreate the original positioning of the bones based on our conclusions and the photographic evidence we collected."

"Frozen by some industrial means. What exactly are you saying? Did they die in a meat locker?"

"Well, that is one viable option."

"That does not happen instantly, does it?"

"No, depending on the size of the individual and the temperature and size of the enclosure, it could take several hours or even a few days before they were dead."

"So, what you are saying is that the father would most likely outlive the son in this situation."

"Yes, the father's larger body mass would insulate him from the cold for a longer period of time."

Booth placed his head in his hands trying to block out the conclusions that were forming in his head. He felt the couch move slightly and looked up to see Bones sitting next to him. She was looking at him intently and he thought he saw something more behind her eyes. He appreciated her presence, but there was no way that she would be able to understand what he was feeling.

Cam popped her head into the office, and both Booth and Brennan turned to give her their full attention. "There is only one type of DNA evident in the samples—the father's."

Booth shook off the feeling creeping up his spine. Oh yeah, he knew Richard Barton. He knew what had happened. Now he needed to find out who was responsible. "Bones, let's go talk to the wife."

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They were on their way to Georgetown. Elizabeth Barton had remarried and was now Elizabeth Marks.

"Booth, is your gut telling you something about what happened to these people?"

"What makes you say that?"

"Well, you seem to be working off some sort of agenda now. When you came to the lab, you were distressed by the similarities between your life and Barton's. After hearing all of the evidence, I could see that something had changed. What are you thinking?"

"You realize that anything I could possibly say at this point is not be based on evidence, Bones? I was simply sparing us the inevitable interchange between your scientific facts and my instinctual feelings."

"I am getting used to, and even respect, your guts, Booth." She said with a mischievous smile.

"Thanks Bones. I am getting used to, and even respect, your science."

"You still haven't told me what you are thinking."

"Let's see what the wife has to say, first." He wasn't in the mood for a debate right now. It had been a long, stressful say already and it wasn't over yet. He could see the anxiety building within her, so he shot a quick wink to show that he was still with her. Inside, he was feeling nothing but rage and sadness.

They did not find Elizabeth Barton at the Marks residence. A servant, probably a maid, informed them that she was out of town until the following day. Booth left his card telling her that it was urgent that Mrs. Marks contact him as soon as possible.

"Do you want to get something to eat?" Bones asked as they pulled out the driveway.

"You know Bones, I am not feeling too hungry right now. Would you mind if I dropped you at the lab?" He didn't want to talk anymore. In fact, he didn't want to think anymore. He just wanted to go home and have a large glass of Scotch.

"Are you alright, Booth?" Her tone was soft and genuine.

"I am fine. I am just not feeling too social or hungry right now."

"Okay, drop me at the lab."


	7. Chapter 7 A Sniper Never Flinches

AN: I am so glad that I posted this, because the response has inspired me to continue. Thank you everyone. Please let me know if there is anything that I should or should not be doing. By the way, Have I mentioned how much I adore these characters!?

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**Chapter 7 – A Sniper Never Flinches**

He dropped Bones at the lab for the second time that day. He could sense her reluctance at exiting the car, but he was no longer capable of supplying reassurance. He prided himself on his on strength and ability to help others, but right now he just wanted to be alone. He felt exposed like a sniper whose position has been compromised. A sniper must always remain in control and under cover—one flinch, one sneeze, one mistake and it means your life or the lives of others. He had flinched more than once today. Heck, he had practically leaped out of the bush to announce his presence to all. For the second time today, he felt like an idiot.

What had happened? For one thing, he had admitted his feelings for Bones not only to himself but to her. To make matters worse, she had dismissed him as being logical which irritated him to no end. For another, he was thinking about Richard Barton. What happened to them? How did his son get wrapped up in this? This was one of those times that he was glad that Parker was safe with Rebecca. He existed within a bubble of murder and danger that was not healthy for anyone he cared about.

He drove home, but didn't know what to do with himself when he got there. He headed for the shower letting the water run over his body until it had long run cold still concentrating on the events of the day. He climbed into bed, but he knew that sleep was lost on him at this point. In fact, he hadn't slept in days. He tossed in one direction and thought about Bones and the feelings that they would probably never share, and then he tossed in another direction and was confronted by the fates of Richard and Adam Barton. Giving up, he headed for the living room and that big glass of Scotch he promised himself.

He stared at the amber liquid swirling it around in the glass enjoying the soft clink of ice and the strong aroma. Finishing one glass and pouring another, he stretched out on the couch and closed his eyes. A man would do almost anything for the women he loved and a father would do absolutely anything to protect his child. He could think of no stronger emotions. Admittedly, he was ruled by his heart and these two issues were almost too much to process at once. When it rained, it poured. How did Bones keep herself so guarded? How did she stand over bodies and spout technical crap? These were people they were dealing with—people with lives, loves, hearts, and souls.

He sat up and poured a third glass of scotch when he was startled by a knock at his door. "What the hell?" he muttered quickly downing the liquid. He stood a little too fast and felt a little light-headed. Bracing himself on the arm of the couch, he glanced at his watch—it was almost 1:00 in the morning. He headed toward the door ignoring the little stagger in his step and swung the door open prepared to give whoever it was a piece of his mind.

"Bones? What are you doing here?" He was dumbfounded. She had never come to his place at this hour. He immediately felt his body relax but did not immediately step aside to let her in.

Not one to take an any sort of hint, she casually brushed him aside and swept into his space; "I figured it was about time to show up at your doorstep in the middle of the night as you seem entitled to come to my apartment whenever you please. Besides, I know that it is my turn to supply the take-out." She turned to face him smiling and he noticed that she had a large bag in one hand and a six-pack in the other. Her face turned serious as she continued, "I was worried about you today."

"You mean yesterday." He couldn't help but grasp the opportunity to correct her—these moments were so few and far between.

"Very funny. I take it you are feeling better."

"I don't know about that, but I am happy to see you and I am suddenly starving." In fact, he could not remember the last time he ate anything which might explain why the scotch affected him so quickly.

They spread out the Thai food and opened a couple of beers, eating and drinking in silence.

"Booth, you never told me what you were thinking today." She was not one to let things go. It made her one hell of an investigator and sometimes an irritating partner. Still, he could not deny that her persistence had gotten them through many cases.

"Listen Bones, when I received the data on Barton, it was like I was reading my own file. He served in the same type of unit in the same war. He left the military for government service like I did. He was the same age as I am at his death and he had a son the same age as mine. The similarities hit me hard. When you described the evidence to me, I just knew what had happened and it is very unpleasant and disturbing."

"What is it that you think you _know_ Booth?" Persistent, as ever.

He turned to face those intense eyes of hers that seemed to be providing the only light in the room. "I think that Richard Barton held his son while he died, and then killed himself because he could not cope with his failure." It sounded so matter-of-fact as he said it, but he knew that their experience in cold storage had been excruciating for Barton. Now, it was excruciating for him.

"His failure?"

"He could not save his son or even ease his passage."

"That scenario actually fits the evidence. Hodgins identified traces of graphite and microscopic slivers of wood on his vertebrae and mandible. This would suggest that Barton used a pencil to puncture his jugular and carotid arteries." She lowered her eyes from his before continuing, "It took several tries." Although Booth appreciated her candor, he was having trouble hearing this reading of the evidence especially in her scientific tone. He was ashamed at the pressure welling up in his eyes. He knew exactly how Richard Barton felt in those moments—a man would do absolutely anything to protect his child. Failing that, there would be no point to living. Although no tears had fallen, he could sense Bones scrutinizing his thought process. "Booth, you really need to find a way to distance yourself from these emotions. It will help you remain objective."

"Objective?" He screamed standing abruptly and backing away from her. "No way lady, I don't think so. I am not sure how you manage to bottle everything up inside of that brilliant brain of yours, but my heart does not allow situations like this to go unacknowledged. I will leave objective to you, my dear Dr. Scientist. I am angry and sad and I cling to both emotions so that I will not falter in my duties to find out what happened and bring justice."

He could feel his face scowling and _flinched_ as she rose from the couch and approached. "I think that it is about time that I give you a guy hug, Booth." His instincts told him to turn and run from this gesture. There were too many things swarming around in his head and his heart. Ignoring his obvious apprehension, she wrapped her arms around him whispering in his ear, "It will be alright Booth; we will find the truth and deliver justice to these souls." She had spoken the exact words that he needed to hear. He felt his body relax against hers and was surprised by the tears rolling down his cheek. Without breaking the embrace, they maneuvered to the couch and he allowed himself to slide down so that his head was in her lap and suddenly felt that the sleep that had eluded him for days was finally within his grasp. As he was slipping into oblivion, he felt her fingers in his hair and her breath against his ear. The last words he heard were, "You know that in order to have a real guy hug, we would both have to be guys."


	8. Chapter 8 Tough Guys are too Sentimental

AN: How am I doing? I have to admit that this is fun. I have the episodes playing in the background as I write and I feel really close to these characters. Less than 3 weeks until the Season 4 premiere!! Please review—I need the feedback and inspiration 

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**Chapter 8 – Tough Guys are too Sentimental**

When he opened his eyes the next morning, he found himself hugging a familiar set of legs: one arm was around her waist and the other laying across her knees. She appeared to be asleep leaning over his back. Metaphorically speaking, they had been in awkward positions before, but this was a whole new level of strange and wonderful at the same time. All he knew was that he felt good—content. She stayed with him all night. He would have done the same for her and he was extremely grateful. Although this was not the time, he had a renewed sense of hope towards the possibilities of exploring this relationship—of crossing the line.

He carefully shifted removing his arms and sitting up on the couch while gently bracing her. Now he was holding her in his lap and it felt even better. Within moments, she stirred opening her eyes and looking up at him, "Good morning, Booth."

"Good morning, Bones. Thank you for coming over last night. I don't think that I would have been able to get to sleep without you here."

"I was happy to be here for you. You are always there for me."

That was all that they needed to say.

She stood up grabbing her bag and heading for his bathroom as he went in the kitchen to start some coffee. He felt better. It was eight o'clock in the morning meaning that he actually had a decent night's sleep. He was ready for fresh starts: a new day with Bones and a new day on the case.

As he fixed a mug of coffee for each of them, Bones emerged from the bathroom looking like a new person. She had changed her clothes and applied the minimal make-up that she wore from day to day. She looked fantastic. "Well, Good morning again. I see that you were prepared for an all-nighter, huh."

"I brought some clothes that I had at the lab. I was worried about you and figured that I would camp out on your couch. I will admit that I never expected to be pinned there by you. You know, you snore and drool in your sleep?" She was smiling and her eyes were twinkling and he knew that this was her way of putting him at ease.

"Drool, huh?" He said taking his coffee and scooting past her into his room both amused and a little embarrassed, "I made coffee, help yourself to anything you want."

Twenty minutes later, he emerged freshly shaven and clad in a clean suit. She made some toast and he was again thankful. It occurred to him how smoothly they functioned together and felt a warm sense of calm run through his body.

"Where do we start today?" She asked.

"Well, the wife is still presumably out of town. Perhaps we should check out their old neighborhood to see if there is anyone that remembers them and the disappearance. We should also visit his place of work. The file says that he managed security in the Capitol building."

"Since we are here in the city, why don't we start at the Capitol?"

"Right. Let's get this show on the road." He said grabbing his phone and his keys.

"Show?" she said furrowing her brow. "Never mind Bones, let's go to the Capitol." He ushered her out the door smiling.

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"That was a waste of time of energy," She said exasperated as they sat down at their favorite table in the diner.

"Yes, but we got to spend some quality time together." He responded with a smirk on his face.

"Booth, we are together all of the time. I don't see anything to indicate that this morning was of a higher quality than any other." She didn't return his smile, but somehow he sensed there was a smile there anyway.

"Ah Bones, you really know how to charm a guy." She rolled her eyes at him as they ordered lunch and coffee from the waitress.

Something darkened inside him as he contemplated the morning's interviews. "It is almost as if these people never existed. Nobody remembers them. Nobody mourns their loss. How is that possible?"

"I have said it before, but you tough guys are really sentimental. You and I both know that it is not that simple. We have very little information. It is not a good idea to jump to conclusions or speculate about emotional connections that will not help us solve this case. It has been eight years since these people disappeared. A lot can happen in eight years. Look at all that has happened to us in just over three."

Booth's cell phone chimed as their food arrived. She watched him intently as he spoke to Mrs. Elizabeth Marks. "Great," he said slipping the phone into his inside pocket, "she will be home all afternoon. We can head over there after we finish eating. Maybe you should check in with the Squints."

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They were headed back to Georgetown. Bones called the lab, but only received verification of earlier findings. There was nothing new to add to the investigation. As she flipped her phone shut, it rang. "Brennan … Hi Neil … Yea, I had a nice time as well. … No, Booth and I just finished lunch and I don't think that I will be available for dinner tonight. … Sure, you can call me tomorrow, but it is difficult for me to get away when I am working on a case. … Ok, bye." She closed the phone and looked down in her lap.

He felt his grip tighten on the steering wheel. He completely forgot that she had a date this past weekend and could only assume that this was the man in question. "Neil, huh? Is that the guy you had dinner with?"

"What … oh … yeah." He thought he saw something in her body language. She was purposely avoiding eye contact and she looked, well, she looked guilty.

"Are you going to see him again?" He wasn't sure why he asked her that question. In a way, it was none of his business, but he had to know. He was jealous. He hated jealousy because it made him feel weak. He had been jealous before, but somehow it felt like a new emotion to him in this situation: This was not a man simply eyeing or flirting with a woman he was dating; this was not one of Rebecca's boyfriends spending too much time with his son; this was someone encroaching on his territory in a way that never mattered before now. This was _his_ Bones, _his_ partner, _his destiny_. Maybe she was right after all, tough guys are way too sentimental.

"Probably not." He let out an audible sigh of relief and wondered if she caught the gist of his feelings on the subject. He had dodged another bullet although this one had definitely grazed his heart.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. There are more important things to consider right now." She turned toward the window and his head was swimming trying to figure out her meaning. Did she mean that they needed to focus on the case? Or, was she considering his confession of the previous day?

Focus, Booth, Focus.


	9. Chapter 9 Hasty Conclusions

AN: This was a strange chapter for me to write. It just seemed necessary. I may have to think about the next chapter for a day or two.

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**Chapter 9 – Hasty Conclusions**

As they re-entered the Georgetown neighborhood where Elizabeth Marks now resided, Booth's suspicions were raised. "You know Bones, this is quite a step up from the Alexandria neighborhood we visited this morning. Mrs. Marks has done very well for herself in her husband's absence."

"So what you are trying to say is that Mrs. Marks, a woman we have never met, deliberately locked her husband and son in an industrial freezer and hauled them out to the woods so that she could live in a better neighborhood." He hated it when she filled in the blanks of his reasoning in order to illustrate how foolish he sounded.

"We have been over this time and time again, everything has the potential to be a clue and I was just making an observation."

"In that case, I would have to agree that this area and these homes definitely represent a higher socio-economic status."

"You think?!" He rolled his eyes and pulled the SUV into the driveway.

They were greeted at the door by the same young women from the day before. She recognized them and invited them into the entry hall while she disappeared to inform her employer of their presence. Booth let out a long whistle as they gazed upon the elaborate staircase and crystal chandelier. He looked at Bones raising his eyebrows as if to reinforce his suspicions, but she just turned around gazing at the adjoining rooms. The woman returned quickly and led them to a room she referred to as the library.

Mrs. Elizabeth Marks and her husband, Dr. Steven Marks, were seated on a sofa in the middle of the expansive room. They stood to greet their guests with inquisitive looks on their faces. They resumed their positions of the sofa offering the facing chairs to Booth and Brennan. The servant returned with a tea service and set it in on the table between them. Mr. Marks immediately began adjusting the cups and saucers on the tray before allowing his wife to pour; he spoke first, "What is this all about, Agent Booth?"

Booth focused all of his attention onto Richard Barton's wife. "Mrs. Marks I am sorry to inform you that we have discovered the remains of your former husband and son in Western Virginia." He stated in a calm steady voice anxiously waiting for her reaction.

There was almost no reaction from the stoic woman. "Remains?" She quietly inquired.

Brennan spoke up, "Yes, we identified your husband from his military dental records. They were discovered …" Booth interrupted her, "We are very sorry for your loss but the identification has been authenticated by DNA evidence." He gave Bones a sideways glance warning her not to divulge too much information too quickly.

"When they disappeared, I thought that Richard had simply taken Adam and left me." She stated matter-of-factly.

"The evidence suggests that they are the victims of a homicide, ma'am. They have been dead for eight years."

"Really, who would want to kill them?"

"Well, I was hoping that you could help me answer that question, Mrs. Marks." He was starting to feel disdain for the woman. She didn't register any emotion. She didn't seem to care at all. Even if she and her husband had marital problems, he had a hard time believing that she wouldn't react to the death of her own son. What was wrong with her? Or, did she already know that they were dead?

"I am afraid that I haven't a clue as to what may have happened to them Agent Booth. They went to the Park to play one Saturday afternoon and just never returned."

"Did they drive to the park that day?"

"No, we lived close-by. I believe they walked. It is possible that Adam was on a bicycle."

"They certainly would not get far without transportation."

"I just assumed that they took the Metro to Reagan Airport."

"Did the police check his financial transactions at the time?"

"I am not sure."

"Did you have reason to believe that he wanted to leave you?"

"Our marriage was strained but adequate. I wasn't particularly surprised. The thought of Richard leaving with Adam just seemed like the most logical conclusion at the time. I didn't have any reason to believe that foul play was involved. Frankly, I am a little shocked by your evidence." If she was shocked, then she sure hid it well. She had barely moved since they entered the room. Her face held the same stony expression. Booth was momentarily at a loss on how to proceed and decided to shift gears.

"Dr. Marks, did you know your wife's first husband?"

The man seemed a bit startled to suddenly be included in the conversation. "Why yes, we were all friends since high school."

"May I ask what you do for a living sir? We visited the Alexandria neighborhood earlier today and this is certainly a nicer area of DC. This house is very impressive."

"Thank you, Agent Booth." He was obviously proud of their residence. "We live here because I like to be close to the University. I have doctorates in physics and engineering. I teach and do research at Georgetown University."

"Is there anything that either of you can tell me that might help us figure out what happened to Richard and Adam?"

The couple looked at each other for a second without expression. They faced Booth and shook their heads in unison.

"Well, I thank you for your time." Booth said standing and motioning for Bones to do the same. "If you think of anything that may help us with the investigation, please give us a call."

"We will handle the burial arrangements, of course." Mrs. Marks commented.

"We will let you know when we are finished with the remains." Brennan answered.

The couple led Booth and Brennan to the front door. "Please keep us informed of the investigation, Agent Booth." Dr. Marks said as he shut the door.

They stood there looking at the closed door for almost a full minute before turning and heading back to the SUV. Once they were inside, Booth could hardly contain himself. "Well, that was weird. They really gave me the creeps."

"Why?" Bones inquired.

"How can you ask that? They were unbelievably cold, especially Mrs. Marks. I don't think she changed facial expressions at all when I told her about her son. She did not seem to care one way or the other."

"That is incredibly unfair Booth. She has had a long time to deal with their loss. Besides, she may be releasing all of her emotions right now."

"I am sorry, but she did not seem to care that they were gone. Charlie should have the entire police report together by now. Let's head back to my office and take a look. She appears very suspicious to me."

"You mean that because she chose not to show you any emotion, then she must be responsible for killing her husband and son?" He could tell that Bones was getting agitated, but he wasn't sure why.

"Are you mad, Bones?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact I am. You are making wild accusations without a shred of actual evidence. Just because that woman did not react the way you expected or wished her to react, you are willing to think her capable of a double homicide. We need to return to the evidence. I realize that there is very little evidence at this point, but we need to rely on what we know not what we feel."

"You see—this is exactly why I don't always share my opinions with you Bones. You are too quick to judge."

"You are the one judging here, not me"

"Well, I am making judgments about Mrs. Marks, but you are making judgments about me."

"It is always about you, isn't it? What you think—what you feel—what you decide is the best course of action—when you decide to reveal information—when you decide … um … whatever you decide. You know I am not sure why you even bother to have me collect evidence at all"

"Wow Bones, that came from nowhere. What are you talking about?"

"Don't call me Bones! I am talking about you and your irrational opinions. I am talking about you and your holier than thou accusations. I am talking about you not giving anyone a chance to express themselves the way they need to express themselves. You know what, I am now done talking about you—drop me at the lab."

He was speechless. He wasn't completely sure what she was talking about or why she was so upset. In fact, he could not recall ever seeing her this angry except, perhaps, when she slugged him in the jaw and barged into his bathroom. He knew better than to try and speak with her now. She needed to get back to the house of reason and she obviously needed to be far away from him. He continued driving afraid to even glance at her side of the car. They rode all the way back to the Jeffersonian in a very uncomfortable silence.

When he pulled up to drop her off, she quickly got out of the car turned toward him and stated in a cold, emotionless tone, "When you are ready to accept that everyone is not as emotionally charged as you are and when you are ready to discuss evidence, you can find me in the lab." She slammed the door and stormed up the stairs without looking back.

As he drove back to his own office, he kept thinking about what she said and how she said it. She was acting uncharacteristically emotional while telling him to stop acting emotional. She was truly angry with him. He couldn't believe the way she had lashed out at him. She is never shy about pointing out his inadequacies, but she never yelled at him like that before. There had to be more going on here but he couldn't figure it out. He didn't know if he was angry, scared, or incredibly attracted to her, but he suspected that it was all of the above.


	10. Chapter 10 Teamwork and Sacrifice

AN: If anyone ever told me that I would be writing fiction, I would have laughed them out of the room. Now, I can't seem to stop. Obviously, this is something that I NEED to do. Go figure. I know that I said it might take me a day or two for the next chapter, but I was on the bus today and the story just kept pouring out of me. I really love this chapter. Someone commented that I was successful at reading Booth just the way he is without taking him out of character. Interestingly enough, I wrote this chapter before reading that comment—thanks 'CassTheCurios' it means so much to me. I hope everyone is enjoying it as much as I am!!

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**Chapter 10 – Teamwork and Sacrifice**

He could no longer work to full capacity without her. This was not entirely accurate—he just didn't want to work without her. Although they each had cases that did not involve each other, their shared cases occupied more and more of their time. He truly felt at his best when they worked together.

If there is one thing that he learned over the course of his 36 years, it was that teamwork was an essential facet of life—at least it was essential to his life. When the right team was in place, there is almost nothing that could not be accomplished. From the ball field to the battlefield, teamwork was the key to victory.

Whether it was little league baseball or high school football and basketball, he was frequently regarded as a star athlete; but he knew that it was never a matter of a single player, it was all about the team. When his professional sports aspirations were shattered by shoulder injuries, the transition to the military had been a natural one. He simply transferred from one team to another. What was it that Bones said about team sports—they were a way for boys to practice their battle skills. He secretly recognized how right she was in her assumptions. He would not credit her with knowing the whole truth for every situation and particularly this one, but her special insights were invaluable to him.

Overall, his military career was fulfilling. He was proud of his accomplishments. Although there were definitely things about his military experience that weren't easy and there were moments that still frightened and even haunted him, his experiences only reinforced his belief in teamwork. It was in the military that he found his first sense of purpose and direction—his calling is you will. He loved his country and he loved the idea that he was doing something to keep it safe and together.

He also knew that teamwork involved sacrifice; just as the batter in baseball flies out to sacrifice himself for the sake of the score, there were many aspects of life that required sacrifice. He was more than willing to make those sacrifices in sports, the military, and now for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

He joined the FBI as a way of maintaining an active role in supporting the country he loved and because he recognized the Bureau as a winning team. He always succeeded in his work at the FBI, but he also knew that there was something more that he could offer—something special. While he did what he was told and absorbed as much as he could from those around him, he patiently waited for the time to come to establish himself as an indispensable force to be reckoned with. He didn't immediately recognize the moment that truly changed his life as the very moment that he met Dr. Temperance Brennan. He had almost missed the moment completely because their first interactions were tense at best. He just couldn't acclimate himself to her way of doing things. He just couldn't shift gears fast enough to keep up with her at first. She was so obstinate and forceful. When that first case ended and he had time to contemplate the results, he began to realize that he had found and perhaps lost something special—he needed to find out what made it special and, ultimately, he needed to sacrifice anything to forge a lasting partnership with this woman.

As he told her yesterday—was it only yesterday—he worked with partners throughout his career. In fact, partnership was a significant part of each aspect of his adult experience. In the military, a sniper works closely with a partner—the spotter—and relies heavily on this partnership to accomplish specific goals. They must develop a system of silent communication that will help them get things done. He had relied on others to help him and he had lost two good partners in the Gulf War. He was also saved by partners on more than one occasion. In the military, partnerships are forged out of need and availability. He rarely had a choice about the people he worked with, but the bonds and trust were firmly in place as a result of military training.

Within the FBI, he knew that teamwork and partnership were equally as important even though they were more difficult for him to navigate. This is not to say that he did not give his all to each and every pairing, but rather that the establishment of trust was more difficult to pin down. There was a lot of competition in the FBI. People had personal agendas and goals that often had very little to do with the work at hand. He felt that without fully understanding an individual's personal agenda, there was no way to achieve equal footing and establish trust. He took his duty and commitment seriously and regardless of the accolades and honors bestowed upon him, he was first and foremost focused on the particular task and assignment in front of him.

Dave Samuels had been the best of his partners at the Bureau. He was an older man with integrity and true grit—he often called him The Duke because of this trait. Booth wasn't sure why he felt the need to attach nicknames to the people in his life, but he did not dole out these endearments frivolously. For him, nicknames forged intimate connections between him and those he respected and cared about. When he lost The Duke in an undercover operation, he was devastated. He was still in contact with the man's family so that they would always know how much the man meant to him. In many ways he felt responsible: if only he had entered the building from the front or they had entered together, then maybe …

Because he felt responsible for the loss of people around him, he resigned himself to working alone or with temporary assignments after Dave's death. He wasn't sure if he felt jinxed but everyone around him seemed to be in constant danger. He wanted to keep people safe and if anyone was in danger because of him, then he would take himself out of the equation. He would simply keep people at a distance professionally. Unfortunately, that also meant keeping people at a distance personally. He had such difficulty separating the professional from the personal because he was so dedicated to his job—in many ways, he was the job. He never realized how strong or large the walls he built around himself were until those walls started to crumble. Dr. Temperance Brennan—Bones—was dismantling him brick by brick and not only was he powerless to stop it, it was the best thing that ever happened to him. She was slowly releasing him from years of penned up guilt.

It took several months and several cases for him to realize how special his connection was with Bones. It wasn't just about her: Angela, Hodgins, Cam, and even Zach when he was with them contributed heavily to their success. They were a team and each member had proven their worth time and time again. It was hard for him to relinquish so much control to Bones and the Squints but he knew that they were only successful because each had a role to play—each held a position on the ball field. Granted, he and Bones occupied the central positions on this team but they would be lost without each other and the rest of the Squints.

He knew that his entire life had prepared him for this particular team and this particular purpose. He found his place and he loved it. He sacrificed for them and they sacrificed for him. Together, they were a perfectly oiled machine. This team was better than any that came before it because there was always more there than the tasks they performed. He was not talking about achievements and accolades. He was talking about something far more personal. Like him, this team was composed of players that carefully intertwined their personal and professional lives. They were not only a team—they were a family where the personal and professional merged. He had no doubts that this merging was in large part due to the relationship that continued to grow between Bones and him, and he was proud of his role.

He was contemplating the meaning of teamwork and sacrifice while sitting in his SUV outside the Jeffersonian trying to figure out his next move. He pulled into the parking structure and noted that her car was safely tucked into its space. He was parked and ready to get out of the car but hesitated—she was so mad at him earlier today. Although he spent a few hours at the Bureau compiling and considering the data that he hoped would help them solve this case, he knew that this was only half of the work. He needed the input from the team, and more importantly, the input of his partner. He was nagged by her reaction earlier. She was clearly trying to tell him something that he was not hearing.

The one thing he did know was that they were not going to solve this case until they sat down and laid everything out on the table. They were at their best when they worked together bouncing ideas off one another, arguing with one another, correcting one another, and finally reaching the right conclusions. It was very simple actually; he needed her and would sacrifice anything to keep their team together and on their winning streak.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he got out of the SUV and headed to her office.


	11. Chapter 11 We don't know much, do we?

**Chapter 11 – We don't know much, do we?**

Booth walked through the automatic door into Brennan's House of Reason and looked around. He had to admit that the place was impressive. He especially liked it at night like now without the hustle and bustle of activity and the constant hum of people going about their tasks. With the lights dimmed, the whole lab seemed like a wise old soul deep in contemplation about the events of the day as if it were regenerating itself for the next day.

He could see a light in her office and moved in that direction. The closer he got the more anxiety he felt which was crazy because he had made this walk countless times and really wanted to be there. "Shake it off," he told himself, "this is Bones you are going to see. Everything will be fine." This was definitely one of those times that he appreciated the fact that she was such a rational individual. She would not react like most women post-argument who might try to milk the situation with coy remarks and silly rebuttals. Bones was just not like that. She may not always be honest about what she was feeling but if she was mad, you could be absolutely certain that she had a reason. The only problem was that because she was not like other women, he really had no idea what to expect.

He couldn't see her at first and his heart sank a little, but finally spotted her head in front of the couch realizing that she must be working on the floor. As he got closer, his anxiety dissipated. She was sitting amongst various piles of papers with her hair in a ponytail looking terrific in the soft glow of the office's backlit walls and warm lamplight. He was taken by her natural beauty and stopped at the door to watch her, unwilling to disturb the peaceful image in front of him.

After several minutes, she turned to face him as if she knew he was there. Time stopped. Those eyes were full of thoughts and he suddenly felt like everything made perfect sense. This was his life and this was as good as it gets.

"Would you like a spring roll?" she offered.

"Don't mind if I do." He took a spot on the floor opposite her and scanned the papers on the floor. He had no idea what she was working on, but it didn't appear to have anything to do with their case.

"Booth, I …"

"Don't go there Bones. I am sure that I deserved it. In fact, I feel honored to be on the receiving end of whatever it is you want to give me." His face unconsciously broke into a huge charm smile and he raised the half-eaten spring roll in her direction.

"Don't go where Booth? I am not going anywhere and I don't understand what you are saying."

If he didn't know her better, he would think that she was trying to play him. "I just thought that you were going to say something about our, um, conversation earlier."

"You know, you can be quite annoying sometimes."

"Too true—especially when I am around you."

She ignored his sarcasm. "Don't you think it would be a good idea to hear what someone has to say before you interrupt and guess at what they are going to say?"

He suddenly realized that he may have put his foot in his mouth. "I am sorry, please continue."

"I am afraid that we are at a stand-still on the Barton case. The remains were in the woods for too long. The prolonged exposure to the elements and seasonal changes has made it almost impossible for us to find evidence. Hodgins scoured the soil samples as well as all the particulates from the clothing, remaining flesh, and bones and has been unable to come with anything useful. He did say that he found some minute traces of nitrogen but that could be associated with almost anything."

"Hmm, I guess that we will have to do this the old-fashioned way."

"I don't know what that means."

"It means that we cannot rely on all of your fancy equipment for this one. We are going to have to consider the people involved as our primary source of evidence. We will have to do this as if science and technology didn't exist."

"Do you mean that you wish to proceed without me?"

"No way Bones, never. We will just rely a little more on my expertise rather than yours."

She looked him squarely in the eyes. "You did deserve it Booth even if you don't know why." He thought that he had dodged that one, but now he knew, just as he suspected, that the case was not the only thing on her mind. He thought that it was best to leave it alone for now, but was worried at her ability to read him so well—the truth was that he didn't have a clue why she was so mad earlier.

"OK, so what do we know?"

"Well, we know that the Bartons were last seen by Mrs. Marks as they left for the park on a Saturday"

"July 22, 2000." he interjected pulling the file out and laying it on the floor in front of him.

"We know that they did not take transportation and that they have been dead for eight years so something must have happened to them on their way to or from the park in Alexandria because they never returned home. We know that Mrs. Marks assumed that they left her."

Checking the file, Booth added, "She filed for divorce 30 days later claiming abandonment and was married to their mutual friend, Dr. Steven Marks, in January 2001."

"Is there any other family?" Bones asked trying to read the file upside down.

"Richard has a sister. I spoke to her this afternoon. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She really did not have much to say except that she hated Elizabeth. She never got the impression that Richard had any intention of leaving her though. She said that she spoke to him pretty regularly but hadn't seen him a number of years before he disappeared. She barely knew Adam beyond sending birthday and Christmas presents. She could not think of anything that would prompt someone to kill him."

"We discovered that very few people in the neighborhood remembered them, never mind had any theories about their disappearance."

"We can say the same for his colleagues in the Capitol Building."

"We also know that their remains were discovered in a remote area of a National reserve in Western Virginia."

"Basically, we don't know much, do we?"

"I guess we don't, and you know how much I hate that." At this, he caught the first hint of a smile that evening. They were finally getting somewhere—even though, they were not getting anywhere.


	12. Chapter 12 The Heart of the Case

AN: Like I said in the beginning, I only have a vague idea of where this story is going. As I write, each chapter just sort of defines itself. So, it is time to solve the case. I hope you don't think I am rushing things. I feared that dragging things out would be worse. Don't worry, I still have at least one chapter to go—I, like you, am just waiting to see how it all unfolds. If you are enjoying the story, please submit a review. They make me feel good ;)

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**Chapter 12 – The Heart of the Case**

"So, what do we do next?" She said breaking the silence that had descended upon the room.

"I am not sure. What do you think?"

"I think that we do not have any evidence or leads."

"Well, I still think that Mrs. Marks is suspicious. In most domestic cases, the surviving spouse turns out to be the culprit."

"That makes more sense than your ramblings earlier. Still, I have this feeling that there is something obvious that we are overlooking."

"Me too."

"The answers are always in the anomalies, and we have two in this case."

"Such as …"

"The secluded dump site and an industrial freezer."

"That's good Bones; we have not really spent any time considering either." He was getting excited now the way he always did when they were getting to heart of the case.

"Since you have a fixation on Mrs. Marks, have you determined whether or not she had access to any sort of large freezer?"

"I don't have a fixation." She looked at him as if to say 'yeah right.' He ignored her. "But no, she was a housewife with no obvious ties to the community or businesses that might suffice. I will say this though, the freezing of these bodies indicates to me that our killer did not want to get dirty—they did not want to commit the actual murders themselves. This way, they could just close the door and wait."

"That makes sense, Booth. Don't you think that Mrs. Marks would have difficulty moving the bodies?"

"Yea, it just doesn't add up." He paused to think for a minute and could tell that she was doing the same. "Do we know anything about the dump site?"

She got up and headed to her computer. After some clicking and reading, she said, "The land is part of a National preservation project—over 500 acres—only a small percentage of which is open to the public not including the area where we found the bones." She started clicking again. "It says here that they support a lot of non-profit research including animal monitoring, soil replenishment, and forestry."

"Research, why does that ring a bell?" He pulled a chair over to sit across from her.

They were looking at each other and as if they were both feeding off each other's thoughts, they said in unison, "Dr. Steven Marks."

"Ugh, I didn't even give him a second thought."

"Well, you were so focused on Mrs. Marks that I am not surprised … Wait a minute, physics and engineering! Of Course!" He knew that she had something but he did not know what it was. He loved when she made these discoveries. Everything about her seemed to light up.

"What about physics and engineering, Bones?" He wanted to join in on the fun.

She was frantically typing on the keyboard. She studied the computer screen and looked up at him with a huge, knowing smile on her face. "It says here that Dr. Marks is one of the foremost researchers on Cryogenics."

"That has something to do with freezing, doesn't it?" He was caught up now. "You know Bones, now that I think about the man, his house, his stoic wife, the way he adjusted the tea cups during our meeting, it is clear to me that he likes everything neat and clean—meticulous."

"Right, he wouldn't want to get his hands dirty."

"I think that we have just solved this case, Bones."

"You know Booth; we are really good at what we do."

"Yes, we are."

"Well, I am suddenly exhausted. Do you realize how late it is?"

"Yea, it has been a very long and draining couple of days. First thing tomorrow morning, let's bring Dr. Marks in for a little chat, shall we? Let me walk you to your car"

"I have got a better idea, why don't I walk you to your car?"

"I couldn't place myself in better hands, Bones."

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They were sitting in Booth's office having just arrested Dr. Steven Marks for the murders of Richard and Adam Barton. The man caved fast once trapped inside the interrogation room with Booth and Brennan. He had been in love with Elizabeth since High School and stayed friends with she and Richard in order to be close to her. He knew that their marriage was unsteady and waited for Richard to leave her. When it did not appear that that was going to happen, he chose a moment to confront Richard under the guise of showing Adam his lab at Georgetown. He said that he regretted the death of the little boy. Booth did not believe he had any remorse what-so-ever. After all, kids were messy and this guy was definitely suffering from some sort of extreme obsessive-compulsive disorder. He did believe that the murders were not pre-meditated. From Marks' detailing of events, they argued about Elizabeth, and Barton threatened him stating that he would make sure that he was out of their lives forever. He couldn't risk losing contact with the woman he loved and grabbed the boy throwing him into the lab's freezer. When Barton rushed in to aid his son, he had simply shut and locked the door, set the temperature, and gone home for the weekend. His lab was virtually vacant in the summer months, and he had access the equipment he needed to move the bodies.

His callous retelling of the events made Booth's blood boil. He was glad that Bones was there with him. On top of all that she added to their cases, she was also a huge calming influence on him. Regardless of their bickering and constant state of supposed conflict, she helped him make sense of a world that did not make sense. Most importantly, she reminded him that there were honorable people in the world; people that would risk anything in the search of truth and justice.

Mrs. Marks tapped on the door and both Booth and Brennan turned to face her. They felt sorry for the woman. Although she remained stoic and composed, Booth could sense that she did feel something. "Thank you both for allowing me to see how blind I was these past eight years. It all seems like a dream somehow. It is difficult to process—difficult to believe."

"I am so sorry for your losses, Mrs. Marks." Bones replied with nothing but compassion and understanding in her voice. Elizabeth Marks nodded curtly and left the office as quietly as she arrived.

They were alone, the case was solved, and Booth resisted every urge he had to envelope Bones in his arms. There may be many different kinds of love, but the love he felt for her was definitely the kind of love that a man felt for a woman when he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. There were so many barriers between them: religious differences, children, their working relationship, and so on. What was he going to do?

"Booth, you are very distracted lately. Did you hear a word I just said?"

"Um, no," he said shifting in his chair. Did she say something? "I am sorry. I was just thinking about the end of this case and I was thankful that we found some justice for Richard and Adam Barton." He lied.

"I was saying that I know you felt close to these victims, and I think you handled everything well as you always do. I am sorry for criticizing your emotional reactions."

"It is no big deal, really. In many ways, you were absolutely correct in reeling me in."

"Reeling you in?"

"Fishing analogy, Bones"

"Oh, I see." She chuckled. "I was wondering if you might want to stop by my house tonight for dinner."

"Really?" He had not expected that. "I would love to."

"Great." She said rising to leave. He didn't want her to leave. "I have some things to do today, but I will look forward to seeing you tonight. Is 7 o'clock good for you?"

"7 is perfect." He watched her leave and was overwhelmed as she turned at the office door to give him a goodbye smile.

"Ah, Dinner with Bones." He said to himself leaning back in his chair and placing his feet on the desk. "Always something to look forward to." He closed his eyes ruminating on the possibilities.


	13. Chapter 13 Guy Talk

AN: This was a fun chapter to write. In a way, I am avoiding the confrontation that will eventually ensue, but I also felt bad about virtually ignoring the Squint Squad. Hodgins is a sweetheart and I am glad that I found a place for him in this story.

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**Chapter 13 – Guy Talk**

He couldn't get anything done in his office. His mind was occupied with thoughts of her and their impending dinner. He was excited and nervous at the same time. He felt kind of foolish like a 17 year old waiting to pick up his date for the prom. "Geesh Booth, it is only dinner!" He kept telling himself. They had dinner all the time. They went out to Wong Foo's or the diner after most of their cases and she had even cooked for him before. He smiled remembering the heavenly macaroni and cheese she made for him—so much better than anything a restaurant could offer no matter how famous the chef was. Still, with all that had transpired over the last few days, he was extremely anxious to find out how all of this would play out, or if anything would play out. Glancing at his watch, he let out an exasperated sigh—it was only 1:30. Unable to sit in one place any longer, he grabbed his jacket and headed out the door.

He was standing at the elevator trying to figure out what to do with himself. He could go home, but that would mean pacing around in circles for 5 hours. He wanted to go to the Jeffersonian to be near her, but that was clearly uncalled for at this point. She set the parameters for the day and he was just grateful that she wanted to spend time with him.

What he needed now was to talk to somebody, but who? Perhaps he should seek the help of a professional like Sweets, but couldn't bring himself to accept the advice of someone so young over an issue as important as this. He thought about Angela. She was so cued into the growing tension and emotional bonds between Bones and him. She was also one of the most understanding people that he had ever met. He had a lot of respect for her. Still, he couldn't lay out his feelings to her because she was just too close to the whole situation. Besides, Bones might get wind of the fact that he had talked to her. He thought of Cam. Regardless of their past, Cam did understand him and they were now very comfortable friends. He was also confident that she knew about his feelings for Bones. Heck, didn't everyone know? But, somehow that idea didn't sit well with him either.

What he needed now was a best friend, but Bones was his best friend. He needed a guy he could confide in. The problem was that he was so wrapped up in his job and Bones these days that he wasn't really close to anyone except the Squints. Could Hodgins be trusted not to divulge anything to Angela? He liked Hodgins. The man was a wonder with bugs and slime evidence, and had even proved himself capable of reaching beyond his Squinty self to 'guess' about the motivations behind some of their cases. Hodgins had confided in him on more than one occasion about his feelings for Angela, and Booth knew that the two men had bonded in the way that men do. Besides, Hodgins knew Bones so well having worked with her longer than anyone else at the lab. Convinced, he pulled out his cell and dialed the number.

"Hodgins"

"Jack, it's Booth. What are you doing right now?"

"Hey Booth, I am preparing a batch of particulates for the Mass Spectrometer in relation to the case you just wrapped. I want to see if there is anything more I can get to make sure that the conviction sticks. What's up?"

"I was just wondering if you would like to grab a bite to eat at the diner. I could use some company."

"Of course, just give me about 20 minutes. I will meet you there."

"Hey Hodgins, don't tell anyone where you are going, ok?"

"Sure thing, see you in a few."

He regretted his decision the moment he hung up the phone. Perhaps, it wasn't a good idea to confide in anyone right now. Hadn't he made enough confessions over the past 36 hours? Still, he felt that if didn't work through some of these thoughts, he would explode during dinner. "This is a good idea," he reassured himself and pressed the elevator button.

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"Hey Booth, how's it hanging?" He took a seat opposite Booth in the diner. "I haven't seen you around the lab in a few days."

"This case was a difficult one, and I ended up in the lab at odd hours. Bones and I solved it at about 2:00 this morning over spring rolls in her office." He could tell he was smiling and was a little embarrassed to seem so openly melodramatic.

"Difficult? Tell me about it. I have never had so much trouble trying to locate evidence—so they were frozen in a cryogenic freezer, huh? Damn, that is rough."

"Yeah, I hate it when kids are involved. Don't worry too much about finding additional evidence. We got a full confession this morning and he will probably end up making a deal long before a court date is set."

Hodgins nodded and then made direct eye contact with the man across the table from him. "I am assuming that you didn't call me to talk about a solved case in which my input is superfluous."

"No, I don't want to talk about the case." Booth hesitated—it was now or never. "I want to talk about Bones."

"Really?"

Booth thought he sensed a little amusement from Hodgins, but tried not to think about it. "You have worked with her for a long time, right?"

"Yeah, we started working at the Jeffersonian within months of one another. She is amazing and I am privileged to get to see her do what she does so well."

"I am sure that she would say the same about you."

"Is there something specific you want to talk about? She is a tough nut to crack."

"Tell me about it." Booth swallowed hard. "I told her that I loved her the other day."

"Dude!"

"At a crime scene."

"Dude!"

"Stop calling me Dude. Now, I am just afraid that I overstepped my bounds. You know, I am afraid that I crossed a line and there may be no way back."

"Angela told me about that stupid line of yours. Do you really want to go back?"

"No."

"Well, what did she say?"

"Nothing, at first. Then, she rationalized the whole thing telling me that it was a logical way to characterize our partnership."

"That sounds like Dr. B."

"She accused me of betrayal over the whole pretend death thing, and I needed her to know that she meant way too much to me for me to ever treat her badly never mind betray her."

"Dude!"

"Stop calling me Dude, Dude." He smiled at the man. This was a good idea. He felt better just telling someone.

"Sorry Booth, it is a reflex."

"After we solved the case this morning, she invited me over to her house for dinner at 7 tonight. The last few days have been like a roller coaster for us. The thing with Bones is that you can never prepare yourself. She is one of the most unpredictable people that I have ever met." He was debating whether or not to tell him about her late night visit to his house or her angry outbreak.

"Listen Booth, Dr. B. has changed a lot over the past three years. I have never seen her smile and laugh so much in all the time that we have worked together. I know, Angela knows, everyone knows that her change is because of the effect you have on her. You have turned a light on in that woman. A light that I thought was non-existent."

"Do you really think so?"

"Heck yea! I know that you are looking for some reassurance here so let me give it. That woman loves you, man. All I can say is that even though I know that Angela loves me, I am still jealous of the way that Dr. B. feels about you. I have never seen a woman with so much faith and respect in a man. Let me tell you something that I haven't told anyone. When we were trapped in that car, she never gave up on you for a single second. She knew that you would be there for her. I told her that she had a lot of faith in you and she basically told me that it wasn't faith; it was a fact that no matter what you would find a way to get to us. I cannot think of a higher compliment coming from someone like her. We both know that she has attachment issues and with good reason, but she is definitely attached to you. Don't let her down."

"I would walk through hell for her."

"I know"

"So, what do I do tonight?"

"I would say that the ball is in her court now. What you need to decide is whether or not you can just let things remain the way they are in case she can't find a way to access her feelings. That appears to be the main issue here."

"You are absolutely right. I am not sure that anything will be ever be the same for me now that I have allowed myself to accept these feelings. Can a man live a life unfulfilled?"

"That is a good question. I failed miserably when Angela first turned me down, but it did turn out ok."

"Bones is not Angela."

"No, but she is a woman in love—she just has to figure it out. Give it some time, man. Everything that is supposed to happen happens in time. You just have to be ready for it."

"I said the exact same thing to Bones once." It was strange hearing his own words of comfort being used to comfort him.

"Just proves what good advice it is, man."

"Thanks Hodgins."

"I am happy that you felt like you could confide in me, Booth. You are a great guy and we all thrilled to be a part of your team."

"Hodgins, I am extremely proud of the work we do. We are a great team because each person does their job so well and sacrifices for the sake of the truth and each other." He paused. "So, I don't have to tell you to keep this to yourself then?"

"No, I understood that right away. No worries there."

They ordered lunch but Booth couldn't eat. He felt better, but he was still nervous. He was thankful for Hodgins thoughtful advice as well as his company. He really enjoyed hearing some stories about the woman he loved before he entered her life. He decided that he would have to be patient. He would wait for her to find a way to her own heart—she already owned his.


	14. Chapter 14 Emotional Responses

**Chapter 14 – Emotional Responses**

He went home after lunch knowing that there was no way that he could get anything done at the bureau. The last few days took so much out of him. Although he could probably cope with the events that took place, he found himself full of dread for the future. He was not the type of man that ever expected to live out a fairy tale existence. He had seen and done things that made that idea completely implausible. Still, he had always hoped to find some semblance of peace and happiness.

He was extremely thankful for fatherhood. Parker was the one thing in the world that made him feel grounded—connected to those people that managed to function each and every day without thinking about murder and mayhem. Sure, he had deep seeded fears about his knack for attracting danger and _prayed_ every night that his son would remain safe. He loved that little boy like he never thought he would be allowed to love anyone.

He entered his apartment tossing his keys and phone on the table and glanced at his watch. It was only 3:40—he still had over 3 hours to go. He took off is suit jacket and stretched out on the couch trying to relax. If he could somehow get a handle on what was thinking—feeling—then maybe he would know how to proceed. Who was he kidding? One of the reasons he loved her was that he couldn't always figure her out. She presented a challenge that was irresistible to him on every level.

He was an investigator at heart. From a very early age, he couldn't leave things alone until he understood every detail. He always knew about the presents that his parents bought for Christmas and Birthdays; he got into trouble for taking apart the toaster and the VCR; and he always knew his brother's secrets and hiding places. He had a talent for understanding how things functioned—especially people—by looking at them, poking and prodding, and by asking questions. He was an expert at asking questions, and knew how to utilize his charm or force if necessary to get the answers. None of his skills worked with Temperance Brennan, at least not thoroughly. Sure, he knew her computer passwords and favorite things. He believed that he was closer to this woman than anyone else, but he always felt like there was more to learn. The more he learned, the more he appreciated her. Slowly, this combination of appreciation, challenge, and mystery transformed his feelings into love.

He laid there thinking about her for a long time before he decided to get in the shower and prepare for his _date_.

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The day passed so slowly that it seemed like a week since he had seen her. He parked the SUV in her parking lot and sat for a moment to compose himself. He decided in that moment that he would wait forever if necessary. He said a short prayer asking for the strength and wisdom to handle whatever she might say or do and added an extra request hoping that she would at least give them a chance to explore the uncharted territory that existed beyond the line

"Hi Booth, you have perfect timing." She greeted him warmly at the door. Her apartment was swarming with cooking smells that made him hungry in more ways than one. "Hi Bones, something smells wonderful!"

"I made Lasagna. Would you like a glass of wine or a beer?"

"Beer would be great—as long as it is not Moroccan. How was your day?" He said following her into the kitchen. She turned with his beer in her hand, and practically bumped into him. He didn't realize that he was standing so closely. For a moment, her perfume fought through the smell of Lasagna and assaulted his nose. He tried to absorb it.

"Why don't you go ahead and have a seat at the table. I am starving. We can talk once I get everything served."

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"Sure, if you want to grab that basket of garlic bread and the salad, I will bring in the entrée."

He did as instructed, and soon they were both seated at the table. She turned on some jazz, lit the candles, and dimmed the lights creating a pleasant, comfortable space. He was utterly content.

"This looks fantastic—thanks Bones."

"I just figured that since we always go out to dinner, it might be nice to have a meal cooked at home for a change. I never get the chance to cook, but I really love it."

"It shows. Next time, it is my turn to show you my kitchen skills."

"You cook?"

"Why yes, Bones. Surprised?"

"A little, but I am willing to tempt fate and give your cooking a try."

"Very funny. So, how was your day?"

"Very busy. I did some of our paperwork, took care of several emails and other correspondence, and I had a meeting with my publicist this afternoon. Everything went smoothly, but I was glad to get home. When we are on a case, it feels like we work 24 hours a day until it is done. It is a shame that the rest of the world refuses to stop and wait for us. "

"I know what you mean, but at least we solved this one fast. How is the new book coming along?"

"It is almost finished, thank goodness. I am ready for a break."

"It never ceases to amaze me how many things you juggle at one time. You are quite the multi-tasker, Dr. Brennan. Are you going to let me read this one?"

"After it is published." She smiled at him. "You don't give up easily do you?"

They chatted as they passed plates back and forth, and then took a break to eat. "Is there anything you can't do? This lasagna is terrific."

"It is good, isn't it?"

As they ate, he realized how truly blessed he was to have this woman as a friend and partner. She completed him in every way. "Bones, I think Sweets was right when he said that we com-PLE-ment each other—you make great lasagna and I eat it."

They finished dinner and sat at the table completely satiated. He wanted to say something but remembered what Jack said during lunch, 'the ball in her court.' He was thankful when she broke the silence. "Booth, I would like to talk about some of the things that happened over the last few days."

All day, he hoped that they would talk about the past days' events, but now he was unsure. He was suddenly scared, and he was not the type of man that scared easily. "Okay Bones, what is on your mind?"

"Do you think that emotional responses define people?"

Unpredictable as ever, she got the drop on him. "Um, that is a strange question. Could you be more specific?"

"Well, you are a person that follows his heart, and I can't help but notice in case after case and especially this case, that your judgments are heavily weighed by how you gauge the emotional responses in people. When Mrs. Marks did not react the way you thought she should, you were suspicious."

"That actually involves a whole series of questions Bones, and the answers are not simple ones. I am the 'people' guy in this partnership and there are many things to consider that can't be measured by your scientific voodoo. In a way, I would have to say that emotional responses do define people but it not the only thing that defines them. It is just that emotions are the first evidence that I get to measure."

"That makes sense. What did you think of me when we first started working together?"

"Are you asking me how I gauged your emotional responses?"

"Yes, I guess I am."

"Why?"

"I thought I was the one asking the questions here."

"Well, you certainly started this conversation. Okay, I thought you were a hard-nosed, no-nonsense, and brilliant individual. I was a little worried that you did not seem to consider the feelings of others especially when talking to loved ones about their losses. Sometimes, you are truthful to a fault. You were a little frightening and definitely forceful with all those martial arts moves." He was smiling now. "However, there were many moments right from the very beginning when it became clear to me how passionate you were about your work, the truth, and the preservation of human life. It was those (he used air quotes to accentuate the words) "emotional responses" that mattered to me and actually touched me."

"Booth I ..." She did not finish her sentence because his phone rang disturbing the moment.

He desperately wanted her to keep talking, but they both knew that he had to answer his phone. "I'm sorry; hopefully this won't be too important." He pulled out the phone and flipped it open, "Booth." He gave her a look that meant it was an important call and took a few notes before completing the call. "We have a new case. Remains were discovered on the shore of the Potomac. " She was wrapping up the leftovers and placing them in the refrigerator. He joined and carried the dishes to the kitchen. "You know, I am sure that it can wait a few minutes."

"No Booth," She said as she went to the closet to collect the gear that she stored at home in anticipation of their departure. "We need to ensure the integrity of the remains. You know that I like to be the first on the scene if at all possible." He was disappointed. He wanted to continue their conversation. "We will continue this later."

"Promise."

"I promise."

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AN: Don't worry, I will continue this (for at least one more chapter)—I promise ;)


	15. Chapter 15 Different Kinds of Love

A/N: I am sorry that it took me so long to finish this last chapter—yes, this is the last chapter! As I have stated throughout, this is my first attempt at any sort of fiction and I am really happy with the results. It would be great to hear some more reviews from people so I know if I should try this again.

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**Chapter 15 – Different Kinds of Love **

It was a short ride to the new crime scene, and they traveled in pleasant silence. This was so familiar for them. They are partners dedicated to the same goals. Every day is filled with self-sacrifice and purpose as they embrace their roles as crime fighters. The events of the last few days are lingering in the air, but it will never deter them from their destiny.

He was now convinced that their destiny had always intertwined the personal and the professional. This was not just the obvious fact that they had to deal with crimes that touched their lives so closely, but that Agent Seeley Booth and Dr. Temperance Brennan were meant to be together in every way. This realization was stronger than just accepting his feelings for his partner, and it blanketed him with clarity and certainty—it no longer mattered to him whether or not she could access her own heart, he knew that it belonged to him and he would wait forever.

As she set about her work on the shore of the Potomac, he was filled with a sense of pride and purpose, "What have we got here, Bones?"

"Male, 25-30, with definite signs of blunt force trauma to the skull. There is still lot of flesh here Booth, and I would say that he has been dead for no more than 2 or 3 days. I'll have the intern handle transport back to the Jeffersonian and do the preliminary exam. Do you think that we can wait for identity until the morning? I hate to call everyone in at this hour. We have all been running on nothing but smoke lately"

"Smoke? Fumes! Bones, you mean that we have all been running on fumes lately, and I couldn't agree more." He looked at his watch, noting that it was already after ten o'clock. "I am sure that our newest John Doe can wait until morning."

She nodded, and turned back to the body while he called the bureau.

Heading back to the SUV, he couldn't help but wonder if they were going to finish their conversation. He had done enough pushing and prodding over the last few days and resigned himself to wait for her to initiate whatever was going to happen next. He didn't have to wait long. "Booth, stop for a minute."

"What's up Bones?"

"Let's talk."

"Here?"

"Yes, here, before another body is discovered and before …"

"Before what?"

"Can you just try not to be annoying for a few minutes?" She was smiling now. "And sit down with me."

"Sure, I can do that."

"Booth, I know that it is difficult for you, but I want us to try to be rational and logical for a few moments. Two days ago, you decided to tell me that you loved me, and then you proceeded to tell me that there are many different kinds of love. You know that I do not deal with abstract concepts very well, and love is most certainly an abstract concept—its emotional and psychological and it has never made much sense to me. Maybe there was some sort of disconnect in me, but I just never understood how people could base their connections on love when I know that most of these connections are really based on specific chemical reactions and random timing."

"Bones, are you trying to tell me that you don't love me?"

"No I am not. Remember when I told you last night that it might be a good idea to wait to hear what someone has to say before you assume? Please let me finish."

"Sorry."

"What I am trying to say is that over the last three years, I have seen many different sides of love. I attribute this to you for taking me out of the lab. Still, as an anthropologist, I can't help but constantly analyze what is going on around me. I have seen you with your son. I have watched Hodgins and Angela's relationship mature. I have reconnected with my father and brother. We have investigated so many murders and there was almost always some aspect of love attached to each and every one—mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, boyfriends and girlfriends, husbands and wives, brothers and sisters, and close friends all consumed, confused, and driven to murder because of love. I am sure that it will come to no surprise to you it has been very confounding for me. I have asked myself over and over, have I ever been in love?"

She paused, but this time he knew better than to speak. He was absorbing every word and he appreciated how difficult this was for her. More than that, he appreciated that she was opening up to him.

"You are right, you know. There are many different kinds of love. I know now that I love my brother and father. I love Angela and Hodgins, and I am certainly quite fond of Cam. I know that I love Zach. And, perhaps most important of all, I know that I love you Booth." His heart leapt, but he was still afraid that she would over-rationalize the situation. "Each of these relationships is different. Even though I am very compartmentalized, I admit that the situation with Zach hurts and I know that I would mourn the loss of any of the people that I love. The thing is that I … I don't think I can compartmentalize or process losing you." He was now holding his breath. "Sweets was wrong. Your death was not something that I could handle easily. In fact, I did not allow myself to feel anything, which was the only way that I could go on. I know that it may seem that I do not _feel_ Zach's loss, but I do. With you, however, I just could not let myself feel for fear that I would not recover."

She paused again, and he allowed himself to breath.

"Booth, you always said that there was a line that certain people could not cross because there were too many strings and too much to lose. Well, rationally speaking, I think that we have already crossed that line. You can't tell me that anything we may or may not do or feel in the future will change what we do or feel right now. So, what I am telling you is that I love you. You are unlike any man that I have ever known—you are noble and brave and I have a deep respect for you. Booth, before you, I never knew love, and I don't want to live a life in which you are not a part."

They were looking intently at each other now, expressing everything that they were previously afraid to express. There were no more words to say. He took her face in his hands and brought his lips to hers in a gentle kiss that slowly deepened as they both finally allowed themselves to feel—to love each other.

They both knew that this didn't change anything yet it changed everything.

The end, or rather, the beginning . . .


End file.
